59th Bologna Illustrators Exhibition includes Ukrainian artist in list of winners

The Bologna Children's Book Fair announced the winners of the 59th exhibition of illustrators. Among them is Ukrainian Mariia Hayduk.

The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reported that.

The Ministry emphasized that this year, the list of finalists included 324 artists from 89 countries, among them five Ukrainian illustrators: Mariia Hayduk, Oksana Drachkovska, Sofiia Kupriyanova, Anna Ivanenko, and Olesia Sekeres.

"One of the finalists will have the opportunity to create an identity for the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2026. The Chialab design studio will provide the curatorial support of this project. The international jury of the exhibition recognized the winners of the illustrations of 77 authors from 29 countries," the message says.

A total of 4,374 artists submitted 21,870 works for consideration.

After the fair, the exhibition winners will embark on a two-year tour, during which they will showcase their works at cultural venues in capitals and cities worldwide.

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The Bologna Illustrators Exhibition, founded in 1967, is one of the most prestigious platforms for discovering new talents in book graphics. Every year, it attracts the attention of hundreds of artists and publishers from all over the world.

The 62nd Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025 will run from March 31 to April 3, 2025. The Ukrainian Book Institute (UBI) organizes the stand with Ukrainian publishers for the eighth time. In particular, the UBI will provide venues for negotiations between Ukrainian and foreign partners and, within the framework of the fair, will distribute materials on the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on the book publishing market, killing Ukrainian children and representatives of the literary sphere of Ukraine.

Two events to promote Ukrainian children's literature and two more with the participation of Ukrainian illustrators and designers are also planned this year.

In addition, the International Festival "Book Arsenal" will organize an exhibition of illustrations, "Ukrainian Illustration: Yesterday and Today," in cooperation with the Pictoric Illustrators Club and Art Studio AGRAFKA.

Separate stands will be held by "Book Arsenal" and Telegraf from Projector Publishing & Store as last year's winners of the Talking Pictures initiative.